By most accounts, the Haitian Government responded well to Gustav.  The Haitian Ministry of Interior’s Office of Civil Protection (DPC) played an active role, gathering information and establishing shelters nationwide. However, Hanna overwhelmed the country's capacity and produced a national catastrophe  that was exacerbated by Ike.  The storms affected 600,000 people in nine of ten departments. Of them, the UN is reporting that 331 people have died and 70,000 people remain in shelters.  Relief has been slow because of damaged infrastructure but it is arriving. Read more »

Below is an email Paul Farmer wrote to Partners in Health (PIH) HQ concerning the recent flooding in Haiti.  The country is dealing with a true catastrophe, described by President Preval as a "nationwide Katrina."  In addition to their responsibilities on the Central Plateau, PIH is stepping up by helping the Ministry of Health provide life saving services throughout the Artibonite. If you have been asking yourself how you can help Haiti, a donation to PIH to fund their emergency operations is an excellent way to do so.  You can make a donation directly through their website.  For additional information, read the transcript of an interview of Paul by Democracy Now here. Read more »

The food crisis has caused a lot of organizations to reevaluate their approach to food assistance. Moving further away from providing only short-term relief and investing in long-term agricultural development. Heifer International has been confronting hunger in more than 50 countries over the past 64 years, including Haiti. They adopted an innovative approach of "Passing on a Gift"-give an animal to a local family and they pass on the offspring to other families. Their projects in Haiti are definitely worth sharing. Read more »

The damage caused by Gustav and Hannah have set Haiti back years.  Many have lost their homes and livelihoods.  Food security, already precarious, is worse as crops have been destroyed, fruit trees knocked over, and livestock killed.  Gonaives, ever prone to flooding, bore the brunt but many other cities and towns were damaged and need assistance.  The implications are being felt nationwide.  Haiti needs its friends during the long recovery process.  Read more »

Back in June of this year the National Hurricane Center at NOAA predicted an abnormal season with 17 to 18 storms in the Caribbean and 5 to 6 of those would have the potential to be major hurricanes. With the recent passage of Gustav and the pounding rains of Hanna and Ike and Josephine creeping closer, unfortunately the prediction is wreaking havoc on Haiti. Read more »